Composition for permanent hair waving and method



Jan. 24, 1939. F. L. REYNOLDS 2,144,811

COMPOSITION FOR PERMANENT HAIR WAVING AND METHOD Filefi Nov. 24, 1957 ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES COMPOSITION FOR PERMANENT HAIR WAVING AND METHOD Frederick L. Reynolds, Mill Valley, CaliL', assignor, by mesne ass ignments, to United States Appliance Corporation, San Francisco, Caliih, a corporation of California Application November 24, 1937, Serial N6. 176,228 I Claims. (c1. 132-362) v 229 filed Nov. 24,- 1937, there is disclosed a new This invention relates generally to means used in the permanent waving of hair, particularly in connection with heating or steaming operations. More particularly the invention relates to chemical solutions suitable for use with a pad of the type disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 176,229, filed Nov. 24, 1937,

v wherein an exothermic reaction is carried out between a chemical solution and a sheet of aluminum foil. The invention is also concerned with methods of generating heat in convenient form for permanent hair waving operations.

v So-called chemical heating pads, such as are suitable for permanent hair waving, make use of an exothermic reaction between certain chemicals, to furnish sufllcient heat for a waving operation. The type of pad employed for this purpose in the past, has made use of a metal foil envelope or sachet, containing the necessary chemicals in dry powdered or granular form. In using such a pad the chemicals are moistened with water, immediately before applying the pad about a wound strand of hair. Generally all of the chemicals are contained within the envelope, in dry powdered condition. In some instances certain chemicals may be dissolved in the moistening water, but in any event the majority oft the chemicals entering into the reaction, are carried within the envelope. The type of chemicals used in such pads vary in different instances, but it is common to use granules of a metal like aluminum, together with a copper salt like copper sulphate, an active oxidizing reagent such as sodium chlorate, and an absorbent filler. The exothermic reaction taking place when the pad is moistened involves displacement of the copper by the aluminum;

Pads of the type described above are subject to several serious disadvantages. Aside from cost of manufacture, because of the use of metal foil envelopes or sachets containing the powdered chemicals, such pads are subject to relatively rapid deterioration when exposed to the air, due

to more or less absorption of moisture from the type of chemical heating pad for permanent hair waving, characterized particularly by the absence of chemicals in powdered or granular form within a foil envelope. In its preferred form the pad in that instance consists of two sheets of asbestos paper, between which there is a sheet of active aluminum foil. This assembly is attached to a foil covering, and of itself carries no chemical, other than the inert and stable aluminum foil. In using this improved pad, sheets of asbestos are saturated with a chemical solution, carrying all of the chemical necessary for exothermic reaction with the aluminum. The pad is then applied to a wound strand of hair, as in prior practice, to carry out the desired steaming operation.

' The present invention has for its object the production of a chemical solution, particularly adapted for use as described above, with the pad disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 176,229.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel series of steps for carrying out a permanent hair waving operation, where heat is generated by exothermic chemical reaction.

Further objects of'the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, showing a pad corresponding to the pad disclosed in my aforesaid co-pending' application Serial No. 176,229.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, illustrating the manner in which the pad can be folded after application of chemical solution.

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views illustrating how the marginal edges of the outer wrapper can be folded overto form a packet, shown in complete form in Fig. 4. I I

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional detail, illustrating the manner in which the aluminum foil and associated sheets of absorbent asbestos, are perforated.

- Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional ,detail taken along the line 6-6 of Fig, 1, and showing a simple form of attachment to the outer foil covering, and a stitching which can be used for understood after a description of the pad illustrated in the drawing. Briefly, this pad consists of an inner assembly [0, together with an outer covering H. The assembly I0 consists of a sheet l2 of aluminum foil, between two sheets l3 which are preferably of absorbent asbestos paper. This assembly can be retained together by two rows of stitching l4, extending along the side margins. After forming the assembly it is passed through a suitable perforating appliance, whereby perforations l6 are formed over the entire area of the assembly, and which extend through the asbestos paper and the intervening sheet of aluminum foil, somewhat, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The covering II in its preferred form consists of a sheet of aluminum or tin foil l1, provided with an inner liner l8 of inactive material such as waxed or parchment paper. The inner assembly I0 is shown secured to the covering II by means of attaching elements 2|.

The present invention is particularly concerned with the production of an effective chemical solution, with which the asbestos sheets are saturated, immediately prior to using the pad. This chemical solution preferably contains copper sulphate, which is a salt of a heavy metal, together with a, sodium chlorate, which is an active oxidizing agent. One solution which has given good results, is as follows:

Grams ,Hydrated copper sulphate 3 Sodium chlorate 15 Hydrated aluminum sulphate Ammonium chloride Suflicient water to make 30 cc. of solution.

When the asbestos sheets I3 of the pad are saturated with the solution described above, a controlled exothermic chemical reaction takes place between the chemical solution and the aluminum foil l2. This exothermic reaction is a complex one, and all its theoretical factors can not be specified in detail. Briefly, however, copper of the copper sulphate is displaced by aluminum. The sodium chlorate serves as a de polarizer and appears to activate the reaction. The aluminum sulphate is an acid salt which activates the reaction in that it speeds up the commencement of the steaming period. The ammonium chloride is an acid salt which depresses the pH value of the cold solution to afford a pH value of about 2.5, and initially activates the reaction. As the exothermic reaction proceeds and.

the solution is heated to an elevated temperature decomposition of the ammonium chloride causes a gradual increase in the pH value of the solution, so that at the end of the heating period the pH value of the solution is about 6 to '7 or substantially neutral. Such control of the solution causes a sustained and controlled heating period.

A second formula which I have employed with results superior to the formula previously specified, is as follows:

Grams Copper ammonium chloride (CuClz (NI-I401) 2.2H2O) 16 Copper nitrate (CuNOzJiHzO) 32 Aluminum chloride (A12C13.12H2O) 3 Sodium chlorate (NaClOz) 240 Sufficient water to make 480 cc. of the solution.

The second formula is more complex than the first mentioned formula. In this instance during a heating period the double copper ammonium salt or its resultant salt mixture when in solution is progressively brokenv down by the elevated temperature and displacement of copper with aliuminum, to release an ammonium radical, and thus gradually increase the pH value of the solution from a value of about 2.5 for the cold solution, to about neutrality at the end of the heating period. The result is that the reaction is tempered to afiord a controlled and sustained heating period. The sodium chlorate also serves as an active oxidizing agent, and prevents ,noted is that at the end of the reaction considerable moisture remains in the pad. With prior types of chemical heating pads this is not the case, and the water is completely depleted at the end of the heating operation. Also at the end of the reaction, when using my pad and preferred solution, the aluminum foil is entirely consumed, with the possible exception of a few small flakes. A considerable amount of precipitated elemental copper is present, and the remaining solution has the odor of free ammonia, which is conclusive evidence of the releaseof ammonia from the original ammonium chloride, whereby at the end.

of the reaction the remaining solution of the pad is near neutrality.

As described in my aforesaid co-pending application, it is desirable, in using the solutions referred to above with the pad described, to employ some convenient measuring device, such as a measuring dropper 22. Such a measuring device is filled with a definite amount of the solution, and then the solution is applied to the assembly Ill.

The pad illustrated is intended for Croquignole permanent hair waving, and it is of such a length that it can be folded, as illustrated in Fig. 2,

before being applied over a conventional Croo quignole curler. Thus after the asbestos sheets have been properly saturated with the solution, the pad is folded over as shown in Fig. 2, and thereafter the marginal edges of the covering H which extend out beyond the edges of the folder assembly ID, are folded over as a safety precaution against leakage of solution. Thus as indicated in Fig. 3, after folding over as indicated in Fig. 2, the marginal edges I l a are folded over,

followed by a folding over of the marginal edges j Hb, as shown in Fig. 4. The precise sequence or manner in which the marginal edges are folded over is of no material consefuence. However, the folding over of the marginal edges is advantageous, in that it avoids possible leakage of solution. y The complete folded packet is shown in Fig. 4 and has been designated by number 0. It can be applied over a strand of wound .hair. as illustrated in Fig. '7. In this instance a moistened strand of hair is wound upon-the Croquignole' curler 23, which in turn is carried by a Croquignole protector 24. about the wound hair by the spring clip 251 It is to be understood that in using the chemi- Packet H0 is retained cal pad described above, the wound hair can be prepared by means of waving solutions, in the same manner as now practiced in conventional permanent hair waving. It is also to be understood that the dimensions of the pad can be varied to suit diiferent requirements, as for example to enable application of the pad to a strand of hair wound about an extended rod, spiral fashion, as is well known by those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In means for applying heat to wound hair for permanent hair waving operations, making use of a pad including a sheet of aluminum and absorbent material in physical contact with the same, a chemical solution adapted to be applied to saturate the absorbent material and carrying all of the chemical necessary for exothermic reaction with the aluminum foil to generate heat.

2. In means for carrying out heating operations for permanent hair waving, characterized by the use of a pad consisting of a sheet of alumium in physical contact with a sheet of absorbent material, a solution carrying all of the chemical necessary for exothermic reaction with the aluminum to generate heat, the chemical carried by the solution including a copper salt from which copper is displaced by reaction with the aluminum.

3. In means for use in carrying out heating operations for permanent hair waving, characterized by the use of a pad having a sheet of aluminum in physical contact with absorbent material, a chemical solution for saturating said absorbent material to effect an exothermic reaction with the aluminum, said solution including a copper salt and a depolarizer.

4. In means for carrying outheating operations for permanent hair waving, characterized by the use of a'sheet of aluminum in physical contact with absorbent material, a chemical solution for saturating said absorbent material to efiect an exothermic reaction with the aluminum, said chemical solution including a copper salt, a depolarizing and oxidizing reagent, and a reagent for speeding up commencement of. the reaction.

5. In means for use in carrying out heating operations for permanent hair waving, characterized by use of metallic aluminum in physical contact with absorbent material, a chemical solution for saturating said absorbent material to effect exothermic reaction with the metallic aluminum, said chemical solution including cop- I per sulphate, a depolarizing and oxidizing reagent, and an acid aluminum salt.

6. In means for carrying out heating operations for permanent hair waving, characterized by the use of metallic aluminum in physical contact with absorbent material, a chemical solution for saturating said absorbent material to effect exothermic reaction with the aluminum, said solution including a salt which is gradually decomposed during the heating .period to gradually elevate the pH value of the solution.

'7. In means. for carrying out heating operations for permanent hair waving, characterized by the use of metallic aluminum in physical contact with absorbent material, a chemical solution for saturating said absorbent material to eifect exothermic reaction with the aluminum, saidsolution comprising a copper salt from which copper is displaced by reaction with the aluminum, a double copper ammonium salt, and a depolarizing reagent.

8. In means for carrying out heating operations for permanent hair waving, characterized by the use of metallic aluminum in physical contact with absorbent material, a chemical solution for saturating said absorbent material to effect exothermic reaction with the aluminum, said solution comprising a copper salt from which copper is displaced by reaction with the aluminum, together with copper ammonium chloride, and a depolarizing reagent.

9. In means for carrying out heating operations for permanent hair waving, characterized by the use of metallic aluminum in physical contact with-absorbent material, a chemical solution for saturating said absorbent material to effect exothermic reaction with the aluminum, said solution comprising copper nitrate, copper ammonium chloride, aluminum chloride, and a depolarizing reagent.

10. In a permanent hair waving method, wherein strands of hair are wound upon curlers preparatory to a heating operation, the improvement comprising placing in heat transfer relationship with the wound hair a sheet oi. aluminum, and causing at least one side face of the sheet of aluminum to be contacted with a piece of absorbent material, said absorbent material being a saturated immediately prior to the waving operatlon, with a chemical solution carrying all 01' the chemical necessary for exothermic reaction with the aluminum.

FREDERICK L. REYNOLDS.

DISCLAIMER 2,144,811.Fredericlc L. Reynolds, Mill Valley, Calif. COMPOSITION FOR PERMANENT HAIR WAVING AND METHOD. Patent dated January 24, 1939. Disclaimer filed October 27, 1941, by the assignee, United States Appliance Corporation.

Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10 in said specification.

[Ofiioial Gazette November 25, 1941] 

